Water woes continue in Kiltealy as boil notice set to remain in place
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WHILE water conservation measures imposed following the recent heatwave provoked the frustration of some members of the public, the people of Kiltealy are facing a long wait before they can drink water from their taps again. A boil water notice came into effect for the wider Kiltealy area back in April of this year after trace levels of cryptosporidium, a potentially harmful parasite, were supposedly detected in the water supply.
Ever since, residents of the Kiltealy area have been on a boil water notice and have been urged to boil water for drinking, brushing teeth and preparing foods. The majority of people from the local area have been stocking up on bottled water since the notice came into effect, however, those constantly boiling water for use in their home are now beginning to see a cost in their electricity bill at the end of each month now too.
Irish Water say that they have been working with Wexford County Council to formulate a plan to address the issue and they have undertaken a yield and quality test on the nearby water treatment plant at Ballycrystal. This has confirmed a sufficient quantity of water in the ground water source to supply both the Ballycrystal and Kiltealy networks
In order to bring this supply to Kiltealy, a new 1.2km water main will be laid between the existing Ballycrystal plant and Kiltealy reservoir and a new pump will also be installed in Ballycrystal to cater for the increased flows of water. Irish Water have said that the installation work is due to get underway in August and is expected to be completed in September. After this, the Kiltealy source will be decommissioned and the boil water notice will be lifted.
This, however, means that residents will be left unable to use water directly from the tap for at least another five weeks bringing the boil water notice to a grand total of 22 weeks. While some residents noted a difference in their electricity bills, one woman with a small baby said that she was terrified her child would get sick if any bath water ended up going in his mouth.
Cllr Johnny Mythen said that the situa- tion has gone on for far too long and that this delay was ‘unacceptable’.
‘In this day and age, it is unacceptable,’ he said. ‘I’ve had a few people from that area contact me and they’re not happy. Being on a boil water notice that long is bound to have an impact on your electricity bill and that’s for those who aren’t buying in bottled water. I’d also be concerned that there are people who remain unaware of the notice and are at risk of getting sick. There hasn’t been enough communication on this. There was one letter at the start and one letter last week and that’s it.’
‘ This problem should be sorted long and ever ago,’ he said. ‘We’re not in a third world country here. It’s a digger and a few pipes.’
When Cllr Mythen raised the issue at a recent Municipal District Council meeting, Director of Services John Carley said that there may have been some delay as Irish Water focused on tackling the drought around the country.
He said that he would take the matter up with the head of asset management at Irish Water and express the urgency of the situation.